I’m the first to admit
that my knowledge of Zydeco is limited. It’s not
that I’m unaware of the contributions Zydeco artists
such as Clifton Chenier have made to our musical
history; it’s just that my exposure to the genre is
severely limited. So I was pleased to see that
Buckwheat Zydeco’s latest release, Lay Your
Burden Down, was such a prestigious project to
review. It celebrates Buckwheat Dural’s 30th
anniversary as an artist, and it’s his first release
on the Alligator Record’s label. So let’s hit play
and get down to it.
First up is a re-make of
the classic Memphis Minnie tune, “When the Levee
Breaks,” a story about the 1927 flood in the
Mississippi Delta. Sonny Landreth lends his slide
guitar to the mix as Buckwheat tells us the story of
the flood. “Crying won’t help you…praying won’t do
no good…crying won’t help you…praying won’t do no
good…when the levee breaks…mama, you just got to
move!” Stark and somber in its tone, “When the Levee
Breaks” changes mid-way through to a Zydeco
celebration of the historic event. My feet are
tapping and we’re only one song in.
Next up is a tune
written by JJ Grey, “The Wrong Side,” and JJ sings
backup to Buckwheat’s powerful voice. “I was born…on
the wrong side of the tracks…so I left…but I’m still
looking back…everybody…telling tales of sorrow…I
forget…but I can’t let go!” Horns
make their
presence on “Let Your Yeah be Yeah,” a tune by Jimmy
Cliff, in the form of Trombone Shorty’s trombone,
Curtis Watson on trumpet and Steve Berlin on
Baritone sax. Buckwheat’s accordion lends itself to
the reggae influence and all he’s looking for is a
straight answer…”so you’d better let your yeah be
yeah…and your no be no!”
“Don’t Leave Me” is the
first Buckwheat original tune on the disc. His woman
has lied to and the relationship seems to have
worked its way south, but Buckwheat still loves this
woman. “Please don’t leave me…don’t leave me
baby…oh, baby…can we talk about it, baby…so we can
be together…and make something happen, honey…be
lovers forever and ever…we have to see honey…but
we’ve just got to try hard!” This is definitely one
relationship that is going to take some serious
effort. Trombone Shorty’s solo accentuates the work
required and hopefully she’s up to the task, because
Buckwheat definitely is.
A Bruce Springsteen
tune, “Back in Your Arms,” is up next. “Now I’m
standing on this empty road…where nothing moves but
the wind…now honey, I just want to be…back in your
arms again.” Ever the lover, all Buckwheat wants to
do is hold his woman tight again. “Throw Me
Something, Mister” is the first classic Zydeco tune
on the disk. It’s Mardi Gras time and the world’s a
party. Time to catch some beads and celebrate the
day, “throw me something, mister!”
The title track, “Lay
Your Burden Down,” was written by Warren Haynes of
Government Mule, and Warren lends his guitar
virtuosity to the tune. “It’s heavy…lay your burden
down…brother…can you see the sun in the night?
There’s a road up yonder…way beyond the light!” A
heavy bass drum gives way to Buckwheat’s accordion
on “Time Goes By.” “Was this the road…the way to
go…or should I’ve gone another way…its funny…how
time goes by!” Life’s journey often presents
different forks in the road and its not always clear
which was the better path to take.
Buckwheat is offering
advice to the object of his affection in “Ninth
Place.” “Stay out the way…honey….because the field
won’t delay…don’t ruin it babe…and you can let them
pull away…cause baby, ninth’s still a place!” She’s
not the prettiest or the smartest woman in the mix,
but she’s still the one he loves.
Lay Your Burden Down
closes with the Captain Beefheart tune, “Too Much
Time,” and the instrumental “Finding My Way Back
Home.” “Too much time…too much time…I’ve got too
much time…I’ve got too much time to be without
love!” “Finding My Way Back Home” is a beautiful
instrumental featuring Buckwheat’s accordion with
subtle guitar work by Michael Melchione. It’s a
classic use of the instrument most associated with
Zydeco and a wonderfully appropriate song to end
this great record on.
I’ve truly enjoyed
Lay Your Burden Down and hope to see Buckwheat
Zydeco live sometime this festival season. I’ve got
a lot to learn about Zydeco and I’m sure catching a
live performance by Buckwheat Zydeco would be the
perfect place to start. For more information about
Buckwheat, head out to his website at
www.buckwheatzydeco.com. It’s a trip worth
taking.
--- Kyle Deibler
I’ve had fans of
Jason Ricci here in Phoenix bend my ear about
him for the last couple of years. I finally got the
chance to see Jason & New Blood play at Blues From
The Top last June and found his “wall of sound”
approach over the edge. But it made sense to me and
I appreciated the thought that went into Jason’s
set. He and the band definitely follow their own
muse.
Fast forward to working
with Jason at this year’s IBC finals, which was was
definitely a bit more interesting. Jason is nothing
if not opinionated and he can be a pain in the a**,
but attendees of the IBC finals found him refreshing
and justifiably so. Still, it was a surprise to me
to realize that all of the liner notes on the new
Jason Ricci and New Blood CD, Done with the Devil,
were written by Jason himself. I have over 5,000 CDs
in my collection and I believe this is the first one
I own where the artist has written all of the liner
notes. It was refreshing to see that as Jason as
grown into his own skin, he and the band are more
and more appreciated for the Bluesmen they truly
are. I’ll leave the rest of Jason’s commentary for
you to read, but I’m sure you’ll find his insight
and honesty refreshing. Let’s get on to their latest
disc.
Shades of the
Mississippi Hill country rear its head on our first
cut, “Done with the Devil.” The Devil is a force in
many a Crossroads discussion, and here Jason has
comes to grip with the Devil’s presence in his life
and managed to release himself from it. “Thing
knocks at the door…this ain’t no folklore…it’s a
dirty force…you cannot divorce…done with the devil”!
Whatever the hold may be, Jason has managed to
extricate himself from its clutches.
The ballad, “Sweet
Loving,” is our next cut. Jason starts out to write
a thank you letter to someone at his mother’s
request and finds himself bending to other
influences in his life that prevent him from writing
the note. “It’s the thank you letter that I never
wrote…that I told my momma I sent…it’s the cool
intentions that I started with…that I compromised
and bent….sweet loving with my baby!” The
interaction between Jason’s harp and Shawn Starski’s
guitar is very intricate and well-done as Jason
celebrates the love of his choosing.
The frenetic energy of
the band is back on our next tune, “Hollering for
Craig Lawler.” Craig Lawler was a harmonica student
of Watermelon Slim’s who has passed away that Jason
knew and this tune is in celebration of Craig’s life
in the Blues. “It’s time to…holler for Craig
Lawler…holler for Craig Lawler!”
Slow, melancholy notes
emit from Jason’s harp as he plays the introduction
to “Broken Toy.” Here Jason reflects on his
perceptions of living a lifestyle outside of what
society perceives to be the norm. Openly gay and
true to his beliefs, Jason is aware of the isolation
that he sometimes feels. “Well…I’m an outsider…not a
girl…not a boy…I feel like a broken toy!” The next
tune, “Ptryptophan Pterodactyl,” is an instrumental
that lets Jason and the New Blood let their hair
down. A strong bass line from Todd Edmunds forms the
backbone for this free-form exploration of musical
forms. Part contemporary jazz, part blues with some
reggae influences, “Ptryptophan Pterodactyl” shows
that every player in the band has some serious
chops.
“I Turned into a
Martian” follows with its own frantic energy as
Shawn Starski’s guitar leads the way. “I turned into
a Martian…I can’t even recall my name…sometimes I
never want to sleep at night…well, I turned into a
Martian!” The tempo slows down as Jason and the band
sink their teeth into the Willie Dixon classic, “As
Long as I Have You.” “Call me your baby…and I’ll be
your man…as long as I have you…northing I won’t do,
baby…long as I have you!” Shawn takes over the vocal
duties on a tune he wrote, “How it Come to Be.” His
fretwork on the Dobro stands out as he tells us
about the relationship he’s ending. “Put on my
walking shoes…I’m going downtown…baby, I’m leaving
you…all day long…I finally see…how it come to be!”
“Life of Denial” is a
story about a man who did his prison time and then
had trouble integrating back into society. “Back in
time…all over again…that life of crime…will never
end…that I had it licked…but the clock, it
ticked…and the times, it ended again. Jason’s harp
provides the intro for the band’s next instrumental,
“Afro Blue.” There’s no doubt that Jason is at the
forefront of this generation’s harp players and he
definitely shows us why in “Afro Blue.”
Jason and New Blood
bring out the kitchen sink for a tune written by
their drummer, Ed Michaels, who also sings the lead
on “Keep the Wolf from My Door.” Shawn Kellerman and
his band join the party on this tune as Ed works to
keep his life together. “The repo man…he repossessed
my stuff…and then they came and took my car…I know
one thing…that without my wheels…I won’t be getting
far…landlord said I was evicted…30 days to
leave…don’t know where I’m a going to…but good luck
is what I need…keep the wolf from my door…a little
bit longer…and I won’t have to sleep outdoors!”
Done with the Devil
closes with the tune “Enlightenment,” another
instrumental with a gypsy/carnival feel whose
melancholy notes are complimented by the operatic
vocals of Brady Mills at the end. A fitting end to
what has been an extremely interesting record.
Jason Ricci and New
Blood have come a long way together as a band, and
it's fitting that Jason notes that the band itself
is a stronger entity than any one player in the
band, including Jason himself. From its liner notes
to its complicated subject matter, Done with the
Devil is a disc that exemplifies the maturation
of Jason Ricci and New Blood as they continue on
their musical exploration of the forces that
influence their brand of music. Jason and New Blood
are definitely not traditionalists, but they are
definitely Bluesmen. You can grab a copy of this
disc from Eclecto Records on the band’s website,
www.jasonricci.com.
--- Kyle Deibler
It’s about time a disc
came across my desk that I can unequivocally say
will make my top 10 list this year. Leave it to
Willie Dixon’s grandson, Alex Dixon, to come
out with the freshest take on the Blues I’ve heard
this year. Rising From the Bushes is
definitely a keeper and one I’d look for soon if I
were you. If you can’t find a copy in your local
record store, head to
www.dixonlandingmusic.com; you’ll be glad you
did.
Alex has surrounded
himself with great players and vocalists for this
project, and leading it off on “Fantasy” is Marcella
Detroit, aka Marcy Levy. Lost in a world of her own,
Marcy struggles to determine what’s real and what’s
“fantasy.” “I need something to free my mind...you
know it, baby…just one more time…everything will be
fine…cause this will be the last time!” Blistering
guitar from BB Chung King lights up this first cut
and I know I’m in for a treat already. BB takes the
vocal lead on our next cut, “Lose Control,” and here
we find him mesmerized by a woman he encounters. “I
want to dance with you…and baby, a whole lot more!”
“I ain’t lying…that red dress sure looks fine…I’m
feeling the heat…you’re about to blow my mind…right
here tonight…I’m about to lose control!” BB
definitely has it bad and you know he’s going to
work very hard to get it!
David Dills is up next
at the microphone with one of Alex’s grandfather’s
originals, “Down in the Bottom.” Enamored with
another man’s woman, David has to be on his toes
with this one. “Meet me in the bottom…bring me my
running shoes…meet me in the bottom…bring me my
running shoes…when I jump out the window…I have no
time to lose.” More great fretwork from BB Chung
King and Alex on the piano keeps the tune moving
right along. Throw in some great harp work from
Michael Fell and the band did Alex’s grandfather
proud.
Our next cut, “Still in
Love with You,” features David on the vocals and
slows down into one sweet ballad. “Hey baby…I’m
lonely with blues…cause I’m still in love with
you…it don’t matter what I say or do…I’m still in
love with you!” This relationship has been a rocky
one but David is pleading his case for one more
chance, he’s definitely in love with the object of
his affections. It’s great to hear Marcy back with
the vocal lead on our next tune, “Paint You a
Picture.” This band’s groove is tight and Marcy is
in top form. Experience has taught Marcy well and
she’s no fool, what’s going on in this relationship
is painfully clear. “But…you’re going to miss
me…especially when I’m gone…you’re going to pay the
price…cause you done me wrong…going to paint you a
picture…so you see the pain…when you’re out of my
life…don’t speak my name!” Marcy’s done, this guy is
definitely out of here!
Another one of Alex’s
grandfather’s tunes, “Spoonful,” features David
Dills back at the microphone with ferocious fretwork
by BB Chung King to intro the song. “Could be a
spoonful of coffee…could be a spoonful of tea…but,
just need a spoon of your precious love…that’s good
enough for me…everybody fight about a spoonful”! “My
Suspicious Mind” is the first tune that really
brings Alex’s piano into play and BB Chung King is
back at the microphone. “You’ll never know my whole
name…you’ll never know where I’ve been…won’t
negotiate until the end…and I say these things that
I do…to make you think about your life too…you might
think I’m fooling you…but your suspicious mind is
going to get you too!” “My Suspicious Mind” offers a
pretty cynical view of the world and sadly,
sometimes it’s correct in its vision.
Another tune in the same
vein, “These Are the Days,” is an extremely accurate
view of the world we know today. “You’ve got people
crying…and losing their homes…here and now and the
next day, it’s all gone…I was broken now…just like a
stone…and all the banks are closing…dry as a
bone…and these are the times!”
A heavy bass line from
Gerald Johnson lets us know that he’s at the helm
for “Find a Way to Live.” Gerald sports a great set
of chops and he’s truly in love with the woman he’s
just lost. “I have done things…that most men have
dreamed of…I have seen things…that folks will never
speak of…I’ve got to find a way to live…without
you”! We’re never really sure what happened, but
Gerald’s definitely in pain over losing the love of
his life.
David Dills comes back
up to the microphone for the last tune on this
amazing album, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” A
tune of great optimism, David lets us know that he’s
more than willing to lend a helping hand to the
woman who needs his love. “I don’t judge nobody for
their ways…you can stop your running…in this world
of haze…the sunshine comes up…every day…I’m here to
tell you…things are going to be ok!” More amazing
harp work from Michael Fell and fretwork from BB
Chung King highlight the hope David expresses that
everything will indeed, be all right!
Rising From the
Bushes is a disc that will return to my CD
player all year long. It features outstanding
writing from Alex Dixon, great vocal performances
all around and one of the tightest bands I’ve heard
in quite awhile. It’s quite clear from this record
that Alex has a vision for where he wants to go with
his grandfather’s blues and we’re better of in this
genre of music because of it.
Once in a great while
you get to hear a classic disc, and Rising From
the Bushes will definitely be in my top ten at
the end of the year. It’s got Blues Music Award
nominee written all over it.
--- Kyle Deibler
Well, it seems to be my
month for reviewing CDs from European duos, although
the Melody Makers' Out To Play (Rockhattle
Records) has a duo at the core with some guest
musicians added to give additional depth.
Italian-based duo Emanuele Fizzotti & Luca Roffino
(guitars etc & drums, respectively) are the Melody
Makers, and they are joined at various times in the
album by Marina Schiavinato (backing vocals), Silvio
Sansone (harmonica), Maurizio Torchio on bass and
Attilio Gili with some vocals on track 15 “Down To
New Orleans.” Three of the 15 tracks are covers that
show some of the various influences this band has
(Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, J.J.Cale), while the
other 12 are all written by Emanuele Fizzotti.
The three covers are
exceptionally well done, especially J.J.Cale’s
“After Midnight” with some neat banjo work by
Fizzotti. As far as I can remember, I’ve never heard
this track played on banjo before, so a lot of
credit to Fizzotti for having the imagination to try
it – and it works! The other two cover tracks are a
good version of Presley’s “All Shook Up” and Chuck
Berry’s all time classic “Johnny Be Goode”. Would
you believe “Johnny B Goode” on banjo? It gives it a
country blues feel, and strangely it sounds like
this is how should always have been done.
So, how about Fizzotti’s
writing? Are his tracks a disappointment after the
fine cover versions? No, certainly not! This guy has
an imaginative style that really gels, and some of
it is as good as it gets. Have a listen to the
opening track “Dragon’s Boogie”, which has a
rockabilly feel to it, and then goes into “Out To
Play”, which puts me in mind of some very early
Beatles material, strangely.
It’s obvious that these guys are extremely open to a
lot of influences. As well as the ones already
mentioned, track six, “Nothing Is Easy,” and track
eight, “I’m A Tiger,” have shades of Stevie Ray
Vaughan, but all of these influences are shaped and
adapted to the band and not just direct copies.
Having said this, not every track shows its
influences; these guys are just as capable of making
their own brand, and it shows very well in track
nine “Darkness All Around,” a beautiful slow ballad
with inspirational guitar work and good, balanced,
lyrics.
Fizzotti obviously
thinks that the banjo has a place in blues music
(and why shouldn’t it?) as it crops up in a few of
the tracks on this album and it doesn’t sound out of
place in any of them.
There is one track that
stands out for me on this album, and that is “Down
On The River,” which features some additional vocals
from the talented Marina Schiavinato lending a
haunting quality to the song. There’s just something
special about this track.
All in all, this is a
very good CD and it leaves me looking forward to
more from these guys.
--- Terry Clear
A first for me…..a blues
album from a band in Finland! The band is L.R.
Phoenix & Mr Mo'Hell. OK, so Finland isn’t the
first place that springs to mind when you think
about the blues, but these guys sound like they know
what they’re doing and they know their blues.
The title track,
“Wrecked,” is also the opening track on the CD. It
has an enormously catchy riff that has your feet
tapping, and it went round and round in my head for
ages after I stopped listing to the CD.
L.R.Phoenix is
originally from near London, England, but he made
the move to Finland when he was in his late 20s and
met up with Mr. Mo’Hell in North Karelia, way up
near the Russian border. The story they tell is a
little reminiscent of Robert Johnson’s tale of the
crossroads, with Mr. Mo’Hell sitting by a lake
playing a drum of reindeer skin stretched over the
skull of a moose and being visited by a man with a
long beard who arrived across the lake in a boat.
Well, a little publicity
story never hurt, did it?
The music these guys
make has a lot of flavour of R.L.Burnside
(especially the guitar work) and other Mississippi
hill country musicians like Junior Kimbrough (plus a
bit of Jim Morrison in the vocals). Close your eyes
and you could be listening to a couple of guys from
Mississippi, instead of an Englishman and a Finn.
Throughout the album the
sound of the drums is pushing the guitar and vocals
along, sounding at times like the chanting beat of
Native Americans. It’s refreshingly different and
it’s hard to believe that just two musicians make
this sound. The two of them radiate an indecent
amount of energy, so much so that they must be
totally drained at the end of a session! Track five,
“On The Run,” nearly had me bouncing off of my
chair!
Actually, by track
seven, “Red Haired Girl,” they do slow down to
almost ballad speed. But things start to pick up
again, just a little, with “My Leaving” and then
quite a bit more with “Whole Night Long,” a track
that sounds like it could have been recorded by The
Doors way back when.
The final track,
“Missing You,” is back to Hill Country Blues out of
Mississippi by way of Finland, and it’s truly
representative of what these guys are about. Their
hearts are in the blues and only a geographical
mismanagement is to blame for the fact that they
aren’t in the Southern states of the USA making
their music.
This CD deserves a
listen by anyone who is a fan of Mississippi blues,
especially of the Hill Country variety. It will open
your ears to the fact that a couple of Europeans can
play the blues. Oh, and by the way, L.R. Phoenix
wrote every track on the CD.
--- Terry Clear
Well, here’s the latest offering from British
folk/blues artist Steve Payne, and it by far
eclipses anything that he’s done in the past. He’s
written a lot of new material, ramped up the
production, and invited a lot of guest artists to
play on this CD, No Commercial Value (Digitdoc
Records).
Incidentally, I was fortunate enough to see Steve
Payne live when he played the prestigious Coin
Acoustic Blues Festival in Spain, and he’s just as
good live as he is on studio produced albums – maybe
even better!
So……. the new CD. Eleven tracks, ten of which he
wrote himself, all packed with great guitar picking,
a little humour, and Steve Payne’s inimitable style
of British folk/blues. Whoever chose the running
order of the tracks on this CD should be
congratulated, because track one, “Pedestrian Jesus,”
just gets hold of you and leaves you wanting more, unlike some albums where you have to really stick to
it to get through to the nitty gritty. This track is
a Steve Payne original and it features some
absolutely beautiful violin playing from Stuart
Gordon. The violin adds a really haunting atmosphere
to the song, and turns it into something special
alongside Payne’s guitar and vocals.
Track two, “Not Afraid Anymore,” is a bluesier track
than the first one, with Payne playing his
distinctive slide guitar over a nicely understated
rhythm section on a song about losing the fear of
the devil. It leads into “Animal Farm” which starts
with a few bars on banjo and then switches to
guitar, with the banjo in the background – a song
about problems in life around the USA, from the
South, where men still wear the sheets, across to
Hollywood.
Track four is a Dylanesque, folky track, “Little
Misunderstood” – a girl who is about to be left on
her own when her man departs without regrets – just
Payne with his vocals and guitar picking. Shades of
Woody Guthrie.
Tracks five and six are more folksie numbers, but track
six,
“Detroit,” starts as a slow blues ballad about the
town being on fire, then picks up tempo at about the
halfway point. The tempo curiously alternates from
there to the end, but somehow it works.
It’s very difficult, and probably unfair, too, to try
and pigeonhole this artist – he has so many
different styles and influences to put him as a
blues artist, or a folk artist, or a country artist,
is impossible. He’s all of those, and more, rolled
into one.
Suffice it to say, for this review, that when he
writes and sings the blues he does it well enough
that this CD is worth adding to any collection.
---
Terry Clear
Camino de Sanlucar
(Blue Beet Records) is another great album from Philadelphia based
Richard
Ray Farrell, this time with “The Spanish Band.”
Richard lived in Spain for quite a few years and
made some good friends amongst the excellent
musicians there, so it’s fitting that he should make
this CD with some of his friends and with special
guest Raimundo Amador. For those that don’t already
know, Raimundo Amador is a full blooded gypsy from
Seville, Spain who learned flamenco guitar from his
father and started playing on the street at the age
of 12. He had B.B.King as a guest star on two CDs!
The Spanish band comprise of Pepe Bao on the bass,
Alvaro Gandul on keyboards, and the highly respected
drummer Quique Porras – three excellent musicians
who, together with Farrell and Amador, play some
good blues. Spaniards love and understand the blues,
probably because of the strong parallels with their
own music, the flamenco.
The album opens with a Farrell written song, “Crazy
Over You,” one of four Farrell originals on the CD.
This is a nice up-tempo boogie/shuffle type track –
well-written and catchy, and a good opening number.
A Magic Sam track (Sam Maghett) comes next – “Look
Watcha Done” – slowing things down a little and
leading into a very good version of “Never Make Your
Move Too Soon,” a song that B.B.King did so well on
a few different albums (to very good effect with The
Who’s Roger Daltrey on the B.B.King & Friends CD).
Raimundo Amador makes his first appearance on guitar
on “Jump Back Baby,” a track written by Richard Ray
Farrell that he first aired on the 2000 CD Black
Limousine when he was playing with ex-Frank
Zappa drummer, the late Jimmy Carl Black. The guitar
work here from Amador is excellent, as should be
expected, and it pushes the rest of the band along
at quite a pace as Farrell sings about a woman who
treats him “worse than doing time.”
The instrumental “Shuckin’“ is the next track up,
another Farrell original which shows his skill at
putting a track together that doesn’t just rely on
vocals to get it through.
There are some very good covers following this, “As
The Years Go Passing By” (again with Raimundo
Amador), Jimmy Reed’s “Down In Virginia,” performed
with a lot of respect for the original with Richard
Ray playing harmonica, “Everybody’s Gotta Change”
(Sleepy John Estes) ,modernized without losing the
flavour of the original, then Tampa Red’s “Cryin’
Won’t Help You” and Junior Parker’s “Pretty Baby,”
before another B.B.King favourite, “The Thrill Is
Gone,” written, of course, by Rick Darnell & Roy
Hawkins. This is the third track that features the
guitar playing magic of Raimundo Amador and, coupled
with Farrell’s vocals and the Spanish Band’s rhythm
section and tinkling keyboards, it easily gets my
vote as the best track on an excellent album.
Having said that, “The Thrill Is Gone” is the best
track on the album, but the last track on the CD,
Farrell’s instrumental “Camino De Sanlucar” is the
one that sounds as though the band are having the
most fun – it’s a blast from start to finish.
Get this CD and see what a mix of one American and
four Spaniards can produce – you won’t be
disappointed!
---
Terry Clear
Black Prairie Blues
(45 Records) is the debut album from a man, Big
Joe Shelton, that I’m sure
we’ll hear more of in the future. Shelton is a
native of Mississippi, having grown up in the North
East of the state in the Black Prairie region, and
enjoying the friendship of people like Big Joe
Williams. He moved to Chicago on the 1970s,
following many well known Mississippi bluesmen on
that journey.
There is one important difference
though……Shelton is a white guy! He has immersed
himself in the blues, however, and has been helped
by his friendship with many other musicians. Anyway, colour doesn’t matter as long as the music is good,
and judging by this album, a white man CAN sing the
blues! Incidentally, he made the journey back down
to Mississippi to record his album, to get the sound
authentic.
I liked this CD from the first few bars of the first
track, and it just grew on me the more I listened to
it – the influences come from Big Joe Williams
(obviously), Bukka White, Willie King, Carey Bell
and others.
Shelton has played at the Freedom Creek Blues
Festival, The King Biscuit Blues Festival and
others, he has also toured Europe – he has played
with quite a few of the people that influenced him,
and he has really earned his place in the music
business.
The album opens with “”Ribs & Cat Whiskey,”
heavy on the harp, Big Joe’s gravelly voice pumping
out the (almost) jump-blues lyrics – what a good
start and
bound to make you want more. Into a good driving
blues, “In Mississippi,” with an insistent rhythm
section pushing the guitar and vocals along at a
good pace – a foot tapper!
A boogie beat for track three, ”Chitlin’ Lovin’
Man,” which includes a recipe for cooking chitlins
in the lyrics – wonderful inventive stuff.
“Mississippi Night” slows things way down, telling
you about the honeysuckle flowering on a warm night.
Next is “Hope We Live To See The Day,” which
opens with some really well played gutsy slide
guitar, a little reminiscent of early Ry Cooder, and
Shelton
then ups the beat to tell a story about a man in the
White House lying through his teeth, becoming an
anti-war song in the way.
If you want to talk about value for money, this
album has 15 good blues tracks on it, and
that’s two or three more than the average CD.
There’s slow, medium and quick tracks, and all of it
is good.
If you want good blues, have a listen to this album
– put on “Catfish Alley” or the title track, “Black
Prairie Blues.”
I’m already looking forward to the guy’s next
release!
---
Terry Clear
Tas Cru is a man from Quebec, Canada whose name means
raw potato in his native Quebecois language. He
spent the early part of his career playing around
Quebec, but he is now based in Albany, New York.
His first album, Biscuit, came out in 2006, and two
of the tracks from it were featured on Dan Ackroyd’s
House Of Blues Radio Hour.
Gravitas (Blind
Racoon) is his follow-up album and it takes the flavour
of the first one and moves forward with it. Keeping
the style and building on it (there’s another album
due soon!).
The album opens with “That’s Gravy” (adding to
Biscuit on the first album, maybe). It’s a good
up-tempo blues boogie with some nicely understated
keyboards from Chip Lamson playing alongside the
guitar and vocals of Tas Cru.
These two are supported by the “Happy Boys,” made up
of Jeremy Walz on guitar, Josh Bloomfield playing
drums, and Chris Wroblewski providing the bass. In
addition, the last track on the album, “Too Much
Information,” has guest musician Kenrick Beckstead
playing tuba!
“Twelve Step Woman” is track two, slowing down a
little from the opening track. It’s another well
written track, written as are all of the tracks on
the album by Tas Cru who adds some well played
harmonica to the mix.
The CD alternates between slow, medium and up-tempo,
with a mix that covers all the bases. This really is
an album with something for everyone, although the
lyrics get a little close to being very raunchy at
times.
The moody “Crazy-Mean Woman” (track
seven) is my
absolute favourite on the CD, no doubt about it.
It’s slow, with an insistent bass line, some
excellent guitar, a dash of harmonica and good
vocals.
This is a band that is different enough to get some
recognition
---
Terry Clear
Tas Cru is
a Canadian singer/songwriter/guitarist from Quebec,
Canada and he’s been impressing audiences all over
the U.S. and Canada with his highly original
songwriting, his rough and ragged vocals, and his
slide guitar work. His third release, on his own
Crustee Tees Records, is called Grizzle n’ Bone,
and proves that he is a force to be reckoned with on
the blues circuit, as is his band, the Slow Happy
Boys (Jeremy Walz – guitars, Chris Wroblewski –
bass, Andy Hearn –drums).
Cru (whose name
translate to “raw potato” in Quebecois) wrote 12 of
the 13 tracks on the disc and they’re a varied lot,
ranging from the title cut, a rocking little number
featuring Cru’s slide work and sparkling keyboard
work from Chip Lamson, to the bluesy “One Eyed
Jack,” to the a capella gospel cut, “Come To
Testify,” to “The Prophet of Lynchburg,” which has a
hint of bluegrass mixed in.
Other highlights include
“Tulsa Tornado,” about a force of nature (but not
the type you might think), “Woman Won’t You Love
Me,” which features some more of that tasty slide
guitar, and “Money Talks,” a sinewy hard rocker.
“Let’s Just Pretend” is a pensive acoustic number,
which is followed by “Brand New Shoes,” which will
bring to mind (along with “Tulsa Tornado”) the
Oklahoma roots rocker J. J. Cale. “Make My Woman
Cry” features Cru’s raw vocals along with his
Resonator slide guitar.
The closing track is the
lone cover on the disc, Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and
Higher.” Cru transforms it from its frantic R&B/soul
origin into a breathtakingly slow country blues with
a gospel vocal backdrop (courtesy of the Stacked
Deck Singers – Jenny Macri, Meaghan Manor, and
Montana Rodriguez). It’s safe to say that this is an
arrangement of this song that you’ve never heard
before and it deserves to be heard.
Actually, the entire
disc is of the same quality. Grizzle n’ Bone
deserves to be heard by fans of blues and roots
music. Tas Cru writes great songs, has a great,
lived-in vocal style, and his slide guitar can peel
the paint off a wall. Give this one a listen.
--- Graham Clarke
At the centre of The
Delta Flyers are an acoustic duo,
based in Houston, Texas, who play a mix of country
blues from Mississippi and all the different styles
between Clarksdale and New Orleans. So what you get
from On The Levee Road (Blind Racoon) is Hill
Country blues mixed with some light
Cajun flavour, with a good foot tapping beat to it –
some of it is a little reminiscent of the jug band
type of music, especially track one, “Delta Flyer
Blues” – the sort of music you could dance to at a
party. It’s hard to sit still with this one playing.
Track two, “Three Legged Dog,” is a heavier track, a
shuffle with a great driving beat, and some catchy
lyrics – my feet are getting tired now, they’ve been
tapping so much! This track features Jack Saunders
on slide resonator, and it is blues at it’s best.
On The Levee Road,” track three, is a real mix of
styles – there’s a little Bob Dylan, mixed with some Creedence Clearwater Revival and all sorts of other
sauces – harmonica is the over-riding instrument and
it carries the song along perfectly.
Throughout this album there is some good early-sounding harmonica wending its way throughout the
other instruments and the vocals. It’s very nicely
done and leaves a lasting impression of a good band
having fun making music.
Track nine, “Aidie Jean,” is an absolute gem and my favourite track on the album. It’s good old style
blues with a nice '50s flavour to it – great slide
guitar mixed with harmonica. I get the impression
that these guys are going to around for a long time.
---
Terry Clear
Let me say right at the start that
Shar-Baby's self-produced disc, My Life, contains
some of the best blues I’ve heard this year, in fact
some of the best blues that I’ve heard for a long
time – the lady is the real deal, and they don’t
make blues albums like this anymore.
OK, so that’s the clichés out of the way…….
Shar-Baby, originally from Indiana and now living in
Alabama, is what the blues is all about. She writes
songs about her life, starting around the age of
ten, just the way blues singers have always done.
There’s no pretentiousness here, just pure down-home
great blues from a lady and her guitar.
The album starts with “Poolroom Blues” a song Shar-Baby
wrote about her early years in Indian where she
lived opposite Hoover’s Poolroom and would sit on a
coal bin watching the comings and goings. The lyrics
are so vivid that you can close your eyes and see
it. It took me a long time to get past this track,
it’s just so compelling.
“Master Dees” follows up, a chilling tale of
slavery, so full of atmosphere that it makes the
hair stand up on the back of my neck – slow, moody,
compulsive listening. Anyone who likes the blues
will absolutely love this – it’s John Lee Hooker in
drag!!!!
Track three, “Don’t Want
You Hanging Around,” ups the
tempo a notch and brings in a little understated
harmonica, Little Walter style (there’s a connection
here, Shar-Baby’s aunt was Little Walter’s
girlfriend at one time). This is a plea from a woman
who doesn’t want her man hanging around where he
might get into temptation.
“Old Block House” tells the story of Shar-Baby’s
early life in the projects in South Bend, Indiana –
this is straight from the heart, telling of a hard
childhood. The album is called My Life and that’s
just what it is – a diary of Shar-Baby’s life, good
and bad.
I really don’t want to say any more about this album
– I want people to get a copy of it and play it to
death.
What I will say is that it’s compelling listening,
and some of the most authentic blues that has been
recorded in this decade.
Get a copy via
www.myspace.com/sharbabysbluesparty.
---
Terry Clear
One of the biggest
records of 2007 was On the Jimmy Reed Highway,
a fond tribute to a legendary musician done by
Omar Kent Dykes in collaboration with guitarist
Jimmie Vaughan. Dykes’ latest release for Ruf
Records, Big Town Playboy, is a sequel of
sorts, continuing in a similar vein, with many of
the same guest musicians in tow (Vaughan, James
Cotton, Lou Ann Barton, Gary Clark, Jr. Derek
O’Brien, and the dazzling rhythm team of Wes Starr
on drums and Ronnie James on bass), along with harp
master Lazy Lester.
Instead of focusing on
one blues legend this time around, Big Town
Playboy covers a much broader range of artists,
though most of them worked in styles similar to
Reed’s. Added to the mix are songs by Smokey
Smothers (“I Can’t Judge Nobody”), Jimmy McCracklin
(“Think,” a soulful collaboration with Barton), John
Lee Hooker (“No More Doggin’”), a trio of Excello
classics, two featuring Lazy Lester on harp (“Hello
Mary Lee,” “Dream Girl,” and “King Bee”), Ivory Joe
Hunter (“Since I Met You Baby”), and Sonny Boy
Williamson II (via G. L. Crockett’s “Man Down
There”).
Reed, along with his
longtime cohort, Eddie Taylor, still get their props
with a quartet of songs, two by Taylor (the title
track and “Up Side Your Head”) and two by Reed
(“Mary Mary” and the Dykes/Barton duet, “Close
Together”). If you heard the previous disc, you’re
already aware that Dykes and Vaughan cut their teeth
on Jimmy Reed, so you know these representations are
first-rate.
That’s the great thing
about Big Town Playboy (and its predecessor)
... all of the artists involved grew up with the
music. They loved it, they revered it, and they went
on to not only play it, but to expand on it and
reach an even bigger audience than the original
artists. In a way, the musicians on this disc have
been paying tribute to these legends for years with
their own recordings and performances. This disc is
just the icing on the cake.
--- Graham Clarke
About two weeks before
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops recorded their
latest disc, their van and all their equipment was
stolen in Montreal. Judging from the sound of
things, having to use borrowed equipment to record
wasn’t a setback at all. Clocking in at nearly 80
minutes, Live At Chan’s – Combo Platter No. 2
(Blue Bella Records) is as robust a set of Chicago
blues as you’ve heard in a long time.
Moss certainly has the
pedigree for Chicago blues, having played bass in
the mid '80s for Buddy Scott, then Jimmy Dawkins,
followed by the Legendary Blues Band, where he
eventually graduated to guitar. After a three-year
stint with Jimmy Rogers, Moss went solo and has
released several albums of his own, including a 2006
live recording at Chan’s, a Woonsocket, R.I. Chinese
restaurant.
Moss and the Flip Tops
tear into rousing originals like the opening
instrumental, “Spare Ribs & Chopsticks,” “Fill ‘er
Up,” “Try To Treat You Right,” and “I Got All Kinds
of Blues.” Flip Top Gerry Hundt pulls out the
mandolin for the lively “Whiskey Makes Me Mean,
while Moss plays harmonica. There’s also a great
version of Curtis Jones’ “Lonesome Bedroom Blues.”
On the final four cuts
of the disc, the band is joined by special guest
Lurrie Bell, and an already fine album takes off
into the stratosphere. Moss and Bell battle it out
on four songs, the best of all being their
magnificent thirteen-minute take on Eddie Boyd’s
“Five Long Years,” a blues guitarist’s dream come
true.
The Flip Tops (Gerry
Hundt – mandolin, bass, harmonica, vocals; Willie
Oshawny – piano and organ, Bob Carter – drums, and
Moss’ wife Kate on bass) are nearly flawless in
support of Moss and Bell, whose interplay is
wonderful. Though the set is nearly 80 minutes,
there’s never a dull moment.
Chicago blues doesn’t
get much better than this set. This is another
winning set from one of the best blues bands working
today.
--- Graham Clarke
Joe Price started
playing guitar as a nine year old in Waterloo, Iowa.
Focusing on folk and country blues, he was
eventually steered into electric urban blues after a
chance meeting with Earl Hooker. He settled in Iowa
City, often a stopping place for blues artists
touring between Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City,
playing first with the Rocket 88s and then with the
legendary trio Mother Blues (with Patrick Hazell and
Bo Ramsey). He retreated to Lansing, Iowa, where he
met his future wife, Vicki Ewing, and the two of
them began opening for artists like Honeyboy
Edwards, Al Green, Louisiana Red, Iris DeMent, John
Lee Hooker, and Homesick James). In 2002, Price was
inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame and the
Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
Over time, Price has
developed a unique blend of traditional country
blues that throws in rafter-shaking electric grooves
as well as some traces of jazz mixed in. He has
issued many recordings since the '80s, many of them
homemade, but hopefully his latest effort, Rain
or Shine (on his own label, Blues Acres
Productions) will help him get the attention he
merits. The disc features ten original songs, five
of which are instrumentals, mostly featuring Price
solo on vocals and guitar. His wife, Vicki, plays
guitar on three tracks and sings on “Steel Guitar.”
Price’s plaintive vocals
are fine, but the real star of the disc is his
guitar. His slide work swoops in and out and back
and forth with reckless abandon. It sounds as if
fire is coming from the strings at times. Price’s
songs are also impressive, highly original, but
still with an eye toward traditional country blues.
The opening cut, “Hornet’s Nest,” is a highlight, as
is the mournful “Too Little Too Late,” and the
swinging “Beer Tent Boogie Woogie.”
The instrumental tracks
are all keepers. “Joe’s Guitar Stomp” is a rocker,
the lovely “Nellie Bell” features Price’s National
Steel, as does the Charlie Christian-influenced “LuLu.”
The disc closes with the lively “Rock Slide,”
featuring the Prices with their son, Keni, on drums
and Al Naylor on trumpet.
Raw and original,
Rain or Shine will please fans of slide guitar
from all genres.
--- Graham Clarke
Over the past few years,
there seems to be more and more artists,
particularly women, tackling classic jazz and blues
styles. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, because
that was a great era of music that’s too often
ignored today. It’s refreshing to see that there is
still some interest in the genre. Singer Mia
Vermillion, from Washington State, stands as one
of the most talented, with her silky sensuous
vocals. Her new disc, Alone Together With the
Blues (Hip Chick Music), finds Vermillion
teaming up with slide guitar legend Orville Johnson
on a nine-song set of classic jazz and blues
standards, plus two originals by Vermillion that
stand up well with the standards.
The disc has a relaxed
and sophisticated feel, and Vermillion’s beautiful
vocals are perfectly complimented by Johnson’s
exquisite work on guitar, dobro, and mandolin. The
cover tunes include Lil Green’s “In The Dark,” Leroy
Carr’s “In The Evening,” a pair of Big Bill Broonzy
tunes (“When I’ve Been Drinking” and “I’m Going To
Copyright Your Kisses”), Cecil Gant’s “I Wonder,”
Mary Lou Williams’ “Walkin’,” and Bing Crosby’s “Two
Cigarettes In The Dark.” Vermillion’s
interpretations of these standards give the songs
new life and Johnson’s shimmering slide guitar work
is magnificent. Vermillion’s two original songs are
the gently swinging “Little Bit of Love” and the
moody “Love’s Lost and Found.”
The superb backing band
includes Chuck Deardourf (bass), Ben Smith (drums),
Mark Ivester (drums, percussion), Garey Shelton
(bass), Cary Black (bass), and Hans Teuber
(clarinet). Vermillion produced the disc, with
assistance from Tom Kellock on a couple of tracks.
Alone Together With the Blues is a splendid
set of early jazz and blues by one of the best
vocalists I’ve heard in a while.
--- Graham Clarke
